Slovakia has signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin for 14 Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70/72 combat aircraft (12 single-seat and 2 two-seat models).
Slovakia has signed the contract on Wednesday with Lockheed Martin vice president of international business development Ana Wugofski
F-16 Block 70/72 combat aircraftto replace its Russian made MiG-29 jets.
“I’m delighted to be here today to witness this historic, very important moment,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan said in Bratislava. “This is a significant step for Slovakia in it is own defense, as an important NATO ally, and as an important step forward in the bilateral relationship between the United States and Slovakia,” Sullivan said.
The first four jets are scheduled to be delivered by 2022, the remainder the following year.
Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini said his country will pay over 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion) for the aircraft. The deal also includes ammunition, the training of pilots and other personnel and logistics services.
“By signing, Slovakia declares it is ready to meet its obligations to increase its military budget and reach the goal of two percent of gross domestic product,” Pellegrini said.
The Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70/72 is the latest and most advanced F-16 on the market today. The F-16 Block 70/72 configuration includes numerous enhancements designed to keep the F-16 at the forefront of international security, strengthening its position as the world’s foremost combat-proven 4th Generation multi-role fighter aircraft.
The F-16 Block 70/72 provides advanced combat capabilities in a scalable and affordable package. The core of the F-16 Block 70/72 configuration is an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, a modern commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)-based avionics subsystem, a large-format, high-resolution display; and a high-volume, high-speed data bus. Operational capabilities are enhanced through a Link-16 Theater Data Link, Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, advanced weapons, precision GPS navigation, and the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS).